In today’s digital landscape, email remains one of the most common entry points for cybercriminals to exploit. A staggering 91% of all cyberattacks begin with an email. Whether through phishing attempts, malware attachments, or business email compromise (BEC), hackers use email to gain unauthorized access to critical business systems, steal sensitive data, and disrupt operations. For small and mid-sized businesses, these attacks are not only frequent but can be devastatingly effective. The consequences range from data breaches to prolonged system downtime, all of which can result in significant financial losses.
At Hummingbird.tech, we partner with clients to provide the best protections available against these threats. Here are some key principles to consider for enhancing your email security:
The Alarming Reality: Email as a Prime Attack Vector
Emails have become the easiest way for hackers to exploit businesses, with phishing attacks alone accounting for 85% of successful breaches. The average cost of a successful phishing attack is $4.65 million, including regulatory fines, reputational damage, and operational recovery. Even more concerning is that over 30% of these phishing emails are opened by employees.
In addition to phishing, attackers increasingly rely on Business Email Compromise (BEC), which involves impersonating a trusted entity to trick users into transferring funds or sharing sensitive data. According to the FBI, BEC scams have cost businesses over $50 billion. These attacks are incredibly successful, and no business—big or small—is immune. BEC attacks typically follow a simple pattern: identify a target, research the target using publicly available information from social media and dark web sources, craft a hyper-personalized message playing on the target’s emotions or psychology, and steal the target’s information or credentials to perpetuate the attack again on other unsuspecting victims.
Steps to Fortify Your Email Security
Given the prevalence and impact of email-based attacks, it’s crucial for small and mid-sized businesses to implement robust email security measures. Here are some essential protections every business should consider:
1. Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Tools for Email Security
MDR services provide continuous monitoring, threat detection, and incident response to protect your email environment. By integrating MDR tools with popular platforms like Microsoft 365 or Gmail, you can ensure real-time protection and intervention against advanced threats such as ransomware, phishing, and impersonation attacks. This adds a layer of proactive defense, identifying and neutralizing threats before they can wreak havoc on your systems. The best MDR solutions combine cutting-edge software capabilities with a world-class, human-run 24×7 Security Operations Center (SOC).
2. Using a SIEM Tool Integrated with Your Email System
A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tool is essential for real-time analysis of security alerts. Tying a SIEM tool to your email system allows you to monitor and analyze suspicious activity across your entire email infrastructure. For example, if you log in from your usual location and two minutes later from another country, a good SIEM solution would send a high-priority alert to your IT partner or department to intervene immediately—signaling that your email credentials may have been compromised.
Using this kind of tool not only helps in the early detection of threats but also provides valuable insights for compliance and forensic investigations after an attack. When integrated correctly, a SIEM system can automate threat responses, significantly reducing the time it takes to neutralize an attack.
3. Third-Party Email Filtering Within the Email Tenant
While many businesses rely on external filters that operate in front of their email tenant or system, a more secure approach is to use an email filtering solution that resides within the email tenant itself. This setup ensures that malicious emails are detected and blocked before they ever reach an employee’s inbox. Advanced filtering can scan for phishing, malware, and suspicious attachments in real time, including analyzing the source code of suspected materials.
This in-tenant filtering provides deeper visibility and better control, as it integrates directly with your email environment. This powerful protection can also detect suspicious messages sent between members of your organization, which external email filtering cannot. For instance, if an employee suddenly sends a Dropbox link and your company doesn’t use Dropbox, this message would be detected and blocked by an advanced in-tenant email filter.
How to Get Started with Email Security
Email security is a non-negotiable aspect of your overall cybersecurity strategy. For businesses looking to enhance their defenses, adopting a combination of powerful protections like those listed above will significantly reduce the risk of a successful attack. These protections, combined with effective Cybersecurity User Training, are your best defense.
At Hummingbird.tech, we specialize in helping small to mid-sized businesses implement these essential security measures. If you have questions or want to discuss how these protections can safeguard your business, contact us. We’re here to help you stay ahead and protect your data!